What happens when oil spills into water? Real cleanup crews use skimmers and absorbent materials. You can model this process at home. Shape a small piece of aluminum foil into a canoe. Fill it with cooking oil and float it in a baking dish of water. Tip it over to create your own spill. Use cotton balls or torn paper towels to soak up the oil. The fibers absorb it the same way real crews use absorbent pillows. Try containing the spill with a loop of string to see how floating booms work.